Sean J. Gregory chosen as new President of Health First Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, FL

ROCKLEDGE, FL — Health First has announced that Sean J. Gregory has been named as the new President of Health First Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, FL. He began his new duties on November 5.

Gregory will manage the strategy and business development for Health First's 514-bed tertiary hospital in Melbourne. He will also oversee revenue and growth planning, service line growth and development, capital budget, physician relations, and overall planning and strategy for the hospital. Gregory will work closely with Health First Executive Vice President (EVP), Chief Operations Officer (COO) J. Stuart Mitchell and the hospital's operational team to ensure that the highest quality and safety is provided for all patient experiences and outcomes.

"Sean has a true collaborative nature and his energy and enthusiasm will help him to build strong working relationships with Health First Associates and Medical Staff, as well as with leaders in our community," said J. Stuart Mitchell, Health First EVP, COO. "Sean has extensive experience in the healthcare field and is an exceptional choice to lead Health First Holmes Regional Medical Center in the coming years," said Mitchell.

Gregory most recently served as Vice President, Strategy and Business Development for Exempla Healthcare — a regional health network with three hospitals, a large multi-specialty physician group, and several sub-acute services in Denver, CO. In that role, he launched new product lines and locations, created multiple service operational enhancements, and achieved the organization's highest operating margin and income in its 13-year history. While at Exempla Healthcare Gregory also developed joint venture partnerships in hospice, long-term care facilities, respiratory care, oncology, as well as home care, surgery centers, and rehabilitation services.

Prior to that position, Gregory served seven years with SSM Health Care (SSMHC) — a 15-hospital Catholic healthcare system based in St. Louis, MO. In 2009, Gregory was named Network Vice President, Network Development for SSM St. Louis. In that role he led business development, rural outreach, SSM Emergency Care, real estate, and Medical Staff development across the SSM St. Louis system — a seven-hospital health network, with annual net revenues in excess of $1.4 billion. At SSM St. Louis he also served as a key executive during one of the organization's most profound periods of rapid performance improvement in operating income, growth, and employee satisfaction. With a focus on program development, improved customer services, and sales and marketing efforts, he led a 12% increase in the system's Emergency Department admissions over the prior year.

He joined SSMHC in 2004 as Area Director, Strategy and Business Development, where he led a $4 million annual improvement in operating income, directed strategic planning and new venture development, and achieved market share 30% higher than SSM's overall market share. In 2008, Gregory became the Network Vice President, Growth and Development for SSM St. Louis North Region. He was responsible for leading the strategy, growth, and specialty program operations across four hospitals, with more than 100 employed physicians, several outpatient facilities, and annual net revenues in excess of $600 million.

Prior to joining SSMHC, Gregory served in leadership roles at Wake Forest University, Baptist Medical Center, and Louis A. Weiss Memorial Hospital, and as a consultant for The Riner Group—a firm that provided strategic planning and operational counsel to physician practices.

Gregory earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance from Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. He also holds Masters degrees in Human Resource Management/Organizational Development as well as Health Administration — both from Washington University, St. Louis, MO.

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About Health First
Health First is Central Florida's only fully integrated health system. With a Mission to positively change the health and wellness of the communities we serve, Health First offers the latest technological advances and quality care at our four hospitals and through our many Outpatient & Wellness Services, as well as the area's only Trauma and Heart Centers. Health First also offers multiple commercial and Medicare health plans, a multi-specialty physician group, and four fitness centers to help members of our community stay healthy.